Giving You a Voice

Where Does the Road Lead? Where We’re Headed Post-Election

The 2016 election has signaled the end of two political dynasties. The Clintons’ impact on the Democratic Party will still linger, but with Bill Clinton out of politics and Hillary unlikely to run for President again, the Clinton dynasty has run its course. On the Republican side, this signals the end of the Bush era. There have been two Bush presidents, but with Jeb’s lack of support in the Republican primary, it is unlikely that he would garner enough support to run for president again. So, where does that leave us?

The Democrats seem to be in rough shape after failing to reclaim the Senate or House and failing to elect Hillary Clinton to the Presidency. Things will get worse before they get better. In the upcoming 2018 Senate elections, 23 Democratic seats will be up for reelection and only 8 Republican seats are up for reelection. The two remaining seats up for reelection are democratic leaning independents from Maine and Vermont. And yes, the senator from Vermont is Bernie Sanders. This makes it very likely that Democrats will lose several seats in the senate.

The Republican Party seems to be on the rise and perhaps unstoppable now that they control the House, Senate, Presidency, and soon, the Supreme Court. But hold on, things are not going as smoothly as they seem for the Republicans. Not all Republicans are the same. There are now two main Republican branches that could have very well split had Donald Trump lost the election. There are the neoliberal Reagan Republicans such as Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, and there is now a dynamic populist wing of the Republican Party led by Donald Trump. While the two branches agree on some things, such as repealing and replacing Obamacare, there are many differences. During the campaign, Trump pushed towards policies of protectionism for the U.S. economy, while many neoliberal Republicans such as Paul Ryan are very supportive of free trade and against Trump’s protectionism agenda. Trump’s 100-Day Action Plan includes renegotiating NAFTA. Trump also mentioned withdrawing from NATO and other alliances around the world. This is in direct contrast to neoliberal Republicans who highly value military alliances and military strength above all else.

So yes, Republicans control all three branches of government, and Obama’s legacy may very well vanish the day Donald Trump steps into the oval office, but all is not lost for the Democrats. The only way republicans can succeed is if Donald Trump can work together with Paul Ryan and Reagan’s neoliberal branch of the Republican Party. If Donald Trump tries to have Paul Ryan removed as Speaker of the House, or if there is an obvious Republican power struggle in Trump’s first couple months in office, it won’t be a good sign for Republicans looking to get things done.

So, where do Democrats turn now that they are down? Bernie Sanders provided a successful populist message during the democratic primaries. He was able to create a wave of support around younger voters and those wanting a political revolution. He very well may not run for president again, but perhaps his left wing could be picked up by the likes of Elizabeth Warren, although she too may not run for president. A changing of the guard will be occurring in the Democratic party. Those who step up have a long road ahead.

The 2016 election has signaled the end of two political dynasties. The Clintons’ impact on the Democratic Party will still linger, but with Bill Clinton out of politics and Hillary unlikely to run for President again, the Clinton dynasty has run its course. On the Republican side, this signals the end of the Bush era. There have been two Bush presidents, but with Jeb’s lack of support in the Republican primary, it is unlikely that he would garner enough support to run for president again. So, where does that leave us?

The Democrats seem to be in rough shape after failing to reclaim the Senate or House and failing to elect Hillary Clinton to the Presidency. Things will get worse before they get better. In the upcoming 2018 Senate elections, 23 Democratic seats will be up for reelection and only 8 Republican seats are up for reelection. The two remaining seats up for reelection are democratic leaning independents from Maine and Vermont. And yes, the senator from Vermont is Bernie Sanders. This makes it very likely that Democrats will lose several seats in the senate.

The Republican Party seems to be on the rise and perhaps unstoppable now that they control the House, Senate, Presidency, and soon, the Supreme Court. But hold on, things are not going as smoothly as they seem for the Republicans. Not all Republicans are the same. There are now two main Republican branches that could have very well split had Donald Trump lost the election. There are the neoliberal Reagan Republicans such as Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, and there is now a dynamic populist wing of the Republican Party led by Donald Trump. While the two branches agree on some things, such as repealing and replacing Obamacare, there are many differences. During the campaign, Trump pushed towards policies of protectionism for the U.S. economy, while many neoliberal Republicans such as Paul Ryan are very supportive of free trade and against Trump’s protectionism agenda. Trump’s 100-Day Action Plan includes renegotiating NAFTA. Trump also mentioned withdrawing from NATO and other alliances around the world. This is in direct contrast to neoliberal Republicans who highly value military alliances and military strength above all else.

So yes, Republicans control all three branches of government, and Obama’s legacy may very well vanish the day Donald Trump steps into the oval office, but all is not lost for the Democrats. The only way republicans can succeed is if Donald Trump can work together with Paul Ryan and Reagan’s neoliberal branch of the Republican Party. If Donald Trump tries to have Paul Ryan removed as Speaker of the House, or if there is an obvious Republican power struggle in Trump’s first couple months in office, it won’t be a good sign for Republicans looking to get things done.

So, where do Democrats turn now that they are down? Bernie Sanders provided a successful populist message during the democratic primaries. He was able to create a wave of support around younger voters and those wanting a political revolution. He very well may not run for president again, but perhaps his left wing could be picked up by the likes of Elizabeth Warren, although she too may not run for president. A changing of the guard will be occurring in the Democratic party. Those who step up have a long road ahead.

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